Premier Lacrosse League returns to town Monday

The Cannons will face the sixth-seed Carolina Chaos on Monday.

Philadelphia and Maryland battled in a PLL playoff game at Gillette Stadium in September 2023.

By Henry Dinh-Price, The Boston Globe

August 30, 2024 | 1:39 PM

The Premier Lacrosse League is back in the Boston area for the first time since July 6, with the Boston Cannons’ quarterfinal match headlining Monday’s festivities at Gillette Stadium.

The Cannons (7-3) were tied for the best record in the league but lost out on the Eastern Division title and a first-round bye to the New York Atlas via score differential. New York was plus-27 while Boston was plus-11. The Utah Archers (6-4) claimed the other automatic trip to the semifinals by winning the Western Division.

The Cannons are seeded third and will face the sixth-seed Carolina Chaos (4-6) at 4 p.m. In the teams’ regular-season matchup Aug. 16, the Cannons won, 11-10, on an overtime winner from midfielder Ryan Drenner.

The Cannons are led by attacking duo Asher Nolting and Marcus Holman. Nolting’s 39 points (11 goals, 28 assists) rank second in the PLL. Holman is a goal-scoring machine, and his 28 scoring points tied him for the league lead.

Defensively, Garrett Epple has been the star with a league-leading 20 caused turnovers. The Cannons’ 11.5 scores allowed per game ranked second. The only team that gave up fewer was Carolina.

Carolina sneaked into the playoffs with a losing record. But a defensive approach anchored by goaltender Blaze Riorden gives the Chaos a chance. Riorden sports a league-leading .594 save percentage, allowing just 9.8 scores per game in eight appearances.

Carolina causes anything but chaos in the offensive end, however, ranking last in scores at 10.0 per game.

The second quarterfinal pits the fifth-seeded Denver Outlaws against the fourth-seeded Maryland Whipsnakes.

The Whipsnakes (6-4) were second in the league with 13.5 scores per game. TJ Malone led the attack with 37 points (19 goals, 18 assists), tied for third in the PLL. Maryland also had a league-leading 62.1 percent faceoff win rate and did not allow a single goal while on the penalty kill.

Denver (5-5) ranked fifth in scores per game (11.7) and third in scores allowed per game (12.1). Brennan O’Neill led the Outlaws with 29 points.

In addition to the two quarterfinal matchups, the inaugural Stars & Stripes Classic will kick off the festivities. An exhibition game between Green Berets and Navy SEAL veterans, it honors the bravery and dedication of these servicemen while raising funds and awareness for their foundations.

“We are honored to partner with the Green Beret Foundation and the Navy SEAL Foundation to celebrate the great history of our special forces and our sport,” said Mike Rabil, co-founder and CEO of the PLL. “This game is more than just a competition; it’s a celebration of the courage and sacrifice of our military heroes.”